Vampires Everywhere!
by heartbeat311
Summary: Megan is very unhappy to be moving to Santa Carla, but when she meets the "creepy kids" from the comic book store, her whole life is turned upside down. Bad summary, I know, but its a pretty good story.
1. Moving

Moving

I _was not _excited _at all. _I sat in the car, watching in despair as the people flashed past my car window. I hated big cities, absolutely _detested _them...and yet my mom was still making me move here. Finally, we pulled up to our house- luckily it was on the outskirts of town- and I sighed as my mom breathed in deeply. "Wow, I forgot how different this place smells than Kansas," she commented and I raised my eyebrow in boredom and dread. "Yeah...still wish I could smell Kansas," I muttered and my mom glared at me. "C'mon, Megs, at least give me a break once and a while. It was really nice of your aunt to let us live here." I nodded reluctantly. I had to admit that it _had _been nice of my aunt Patti to let us stay at her house in Santa Carla while my mom and dad sorted out their differences (in other words, grew more apart until they divorced.) "Yeah, I know. It's just...you know how I feel about big cities," I told her as we both got out of the car and started unloading our bags. "I _am _sorry about that, hon, but at least we don't live in the city. And you'll get used to it," she promised. _Empty words, _I thought to myself. There was no way I was getting used to this hell hole. "Guys! You made it!" a familiar voice cried from the doorway of the large house overlooking the beach (I had to admit that the beach would be fun.) "Patti!" my mom exclaimed, dropping her stuff to run over to her sister and hug her. "I'm so glad you're safe!" my aunt told my mom, holding her out at arm's length. That's when she saw me. "Hey, Megan. How are you?" _Horrible. Depressed. Close to dying. _"Fine," I lied and hugged her half-heartedly. "Well, here, I'll just have Marko help you guys with the luggage," Patti promised, hollering my cousin's name. When he appeared, I was surprised. The last time I'd seen him, his hair had been cropped short and had been oily smooth. Now only the top was smooth, and the rest of his shoulder-length hair was curled in a bad perm. He was decked out in a full biker's outfit- black leather, chrome silver, all that junk. He smiled at me and then went around quietly to grab some bags out of the trunk. I followed him up to the top floor, where he set my bags in a small guest room. He didn't say a word the whole time, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. I was use to him being extremely quiet...and to tell the truth, I wasn't much of a talker, either. I appraised my room with judgemental eyes. It was small, but cute and comfortable, with a small bed next to a dresser with just enough room for a lamp. Across from the bed was a two-door closet, and next to the bed was a rather large window. The blinds were pulled shut, and I immediately opened them. _Too bad it's not facing the beach, _I thought with a sigh. Even if I'd had the beach view, it still wouldn't have been home. And it never would be. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them off. _Later, _I promised myself and started to unpack, trying to focus on other things than my sorrow. "Hey, Megan!" a small voice cried from my doorway, and I looked up to see none other than Laddie, my very young cousin and Marko's little brother. "Hey, Laddie!" I replied, opening my arms out wide so that he could run into them. After hugging him tightly, I forced myself to smile back at his happy little face. "So, do you wanna go down to the Boardwalk tonight? All the rides are really fun! And...my mom doesn't want me to read comics, but there's a really good comic store down there that I'd like to go to," he blurted out all at once. It took all my strength just to nod and say "yes". How could I let little Laddie down? He beamed up at me. "Thanks, Megan!" With that, he scampered off. I sighed heavily. So, when I was trying to avoid the city, instead I was pulled into it? Great. Just great.

NOTE: Okay, hey, people! This is my first story so go easy on me, I'm a beginner.


	2. Comic Book Store

Disclaimer: I do not own Laddie, Edgar and Allan Frog, Marko, or any other Lost Boys characters. Only Megan, her mom and her aunt.

Comic Book Store

That night, I dressed a little more showy than casual, wearing a denim mini skirt and a cute Snoopy shirt. I had pulled my hair into a ponytail, but it didn't look very good (my hair was used to more muggy weather, and surprisingly, here it wasn't muggy at all, just hot) so I hid it under one of my many hats.

Laddie was really excited about going into town, the complete opposite of me, but I tried not to crush his enthusiasm. I should've expected from his speech earlier that day that the first place he'd take me was the comic book store. "Alright, you go and look around for a bit, but don't go too far," I warned him. He nodded and sped off.

I shook my head and leaned against a wall, looking bored...which, I was. And that's when I saw the boy staring at me with a very serious expression. He had dark hair and was wearing a dark, olive-green jacket over a plain white shirt. I could tell he worked at the store because he was stacking comics into the counters from a box. I looked away, self-concious, and then felt another pair of eyes on me. Another of the employees, the same age as the dark-haired boy, was looking me over, too. He had thick chestnut hair, wearing a red bandana to match his red plaid jacket. I looked away from him, too. That was why I hated big cities- so many people, so many staring pairs of eyes. I was, by nature, pretty much a coward and I hated being in the spotlight.

"Megan! Megan!" Laddie's excited voice piped up and I glanced at him. He was waving me over to him. I took the opportunity to escape the scrutinizing eyes of the two boys.

"What is it, Laddie?" I asked, feigning interest as he held up three comics and told me these were the ones he'd been looking for.

"Alright, I suppose I could buy them for you...but you have to promise me that you won't tell your mom- we can't have her knowing I bought you these, right?" I told him and he nodded an affirmative. So I grabbed Laddie's hand and we walked up to the counter, setting the comics down.

The chestnut-haired boy rang them up- two other people were sitting behind the counter, asleep. Hippies, by their clothes...and probably the boy's parents. I tried to avoid the kid's gaze but some things can't be avoided for long. I grabbed the bag of comics and handed them to Laddie.

"Thanks, Megan!" he said to me and I grinned at him.

"Anytime, kiddo," I replied, ruffling his hair.

"Take this," a gruff voice commanded, and I looked up to see that the chestnut-haired boy was handing me a comic book entitled "Vampires Everywhere!" The other boy was standing next to him- both had unusual serious expressions on their faces. I smiled politely at him.

"Thanks, but no..." I said but he didn't move from where he stood. He and the dark-haired boy exchanged a glance.

"I suggest you take it...you just moved here, right?" the one with the comic inquired. I nodded- I didn't ask how he knew I was new. "Then you should take this...it could save your life." I blinked, not knowing if he was kidding or just plain crazy. "Um...okay? Thanks, I guess..." I trailed off, taking the comic book and stuffing it in Laddie's bag. We walked out quickly and I didn't turn around. Those kids were creepy, and I didn't want to go back there anytime soon.

That night, I lay in bed...and read the comic book. I didn't know why...what the boy had said didn't make any sense, but I was curious. So, I read through it all really quickly and then just laid in bed, contemplating whether the boy was lying, joking...or crazy. I decided on crazy before I fell asleep.

But, my sleep was filled with dreams of me being chased by vampires. Everywhere I looked, a vampire was crouched, waiting for me to turn my back on them so that they could leap and make the kill. And just when I'd given up all hope of ever seeing another day of life, the two kids from the comic book store showed up, punching, fighting, and stabbing the vampires in the hearts with large wooden stakes.

When I woke up, I expected to be frightened...but at the thought of the two boys defending my life I was instead strangely comforted.

Okay, new chapter, hope you all like it. No flames, please.


	3. Vampires Everywhere!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost Boys characters, only my own (the ones that you won't recognize from the movie)

"How to Kill Vampires"

I couldn't believe I was there again. I mean, sure, in my dream the creepy kids had turned out to be my saviors, but in real life they were as crazy as could be. What did that kid mean when he'd said that "Vampires Everywhere!" could save my life? That vampires were real; that they existed and they wanted to feed on my blood? Yeah, right. But, despite all that, I was at their store again, with little Laddie. He wanted more comics. Again. Figures.

I stuck by his side this time, not totally certain I wanted him to be around the two kids. They were still watching us. As soon as we were up at the counter, I heard a familiar song- "Laying Down the Law" by Inxs and Jimmy Barnes.

"Hey, Megan! I like this song!" Laddie piped up cheerfully as the chestnut-haired kid rang up his comics. I smiled slightly.

"Me too," I replied, glancing at the kid behind the counter. The corner of his mouth was pulled slightly into a small smile, too. I couldn't help my dream from rushing back whenever I looked at him or the other boy. I shivered at the thought and was so consumed with the disturbing thoughts that at first I didn't notice the boy slip an extra comic into our bag. I only noticed when Laddie and I were up in my room, him reading his comics, me reading a substantial book.

"Hey, Megan, I didn't want _this _book!" Laddie complained and handed it to me. The title read: "How to Kill Vampires". I rolled my eyes on the outside, but inwardly I was scared. My dream...the creepy kids...all the vampire comic books...it was all just really wrong and crazy. It wasn't as if vampires really existed.

"Oh, I must have picked it up by mistake..." I mumbled. That's what decided it. Tomorrow I would go down to the comic store and demand to know what the hell they thought they were doing and that the "joke" or whatever they were doing had gone too far. That night I had the same dream.

When I got ready to head out to the Boardwalk the next day, I noticed that Marko was acting very strange. He was wearing his sunglasses in the house and acting like he was exhausted- he tried to deny it when aunt Patti had asked him about it, but we could all see he was dead on his feet. I figured something was really wrong when he snapped at Laddie. He was _never _mean to Laddie! So I decided to postpone my trip to the comic book store to follow him around.

At first I was forced to stay in the house during the day while he slept (which was boring when I still wanted badly to go to the comic store and give those two creeps a piece of my mind...although after my dreams I had to admit that I felt stupidly grateful to them for things they didn't even do.) But my patience paid off when he finally got up, dressed in his biker outfit, and slipped stealthily out his window, landing gracefully on the ground below- which was two stories down.

I gulped and decided to use the door...of course, by then, Marko had taken off on his motorcycle...which meant it was my bike for me. I quickly hopped on and rode down to the Boardwalk after him. Trying to find him in the millions of people at the Boardwalk was a different story, but after about three hours I finally found him- about to take off on his bike again outside the comic book store (of course) with three other dudes on their bikes.

"Marko!" I called out, both relieved and wary. These weren't normally the kinds of kids my cousin would hang out with. I didn't know what exactly was going on, but I did know that Marko had changed- the look he gave me when I called out his name just confirmed my suspicion. He glared at me. _Glared _at _me _in an annoyed, angry way. Even when Marko was furious, he never _glared _that mean, accusing glare he'd just thrown me.

"Get out of here, Megan," he growled, and I took a step back, startled.

"Wh-what's going on?" I asked shakily, noticing for the first time that the two creepy kids were hovering in their store, eyes fixated on me and the group before me. It annoyed me, but not as much as Marko's attitude was frightening me.

"Marko...what's wrong?" I asked again and he rolled his hard eyes.

"The only thing that's _wrong _is that you're following me around like some obsessed little puppy. Get lost and leave me alone," he growled, hopped on his bike, and sped off. The four other kids- three guys, one girl- all stared balefully at me and then followed Marko. I just stood there, dumbfounded. What was going on?

"Hey, c'mon," a deep voice murmured and I looked up, startled. One of the creepy kids- the one with the chestnut hair- was standing in front of me, offering his hand. I blinked for a moment, and then hesitantly took it.

He pulled me along, through the crowd, into the comic book store. Immediately the other kid started closing the big doors of the store and locking them tightly. I watched, appalled and wondering exactly why I was there...but ultimately still deeply disturbed by Marko's behavior.

After the doors had been shut and locked, the two kids turned to me, their eyes awed, confused, and concerned. "Do you know those guys?" the chestnut-haired kid asked me.

I shook my head. "Just Marko...the one I was arguing with," I replied and the kids exchanged a glance.

"Who are you guys, anyway? Why are you determined to make me believe in vampires?" I demanded, finally remembering my original mission.

"I'm Edgar and this is my brother, Allan," the chestnut-haired boy explained, and I almost laughed. Edgar and Allan. Cute. Instead all I did was lift an eyebrow and wait for him to continue.

"We're vampire hunters," Edgar went on and I scoffed.

"Yeah, sure. And I'm a vampire," I retorted. Immediately, I regretted that. In a heartbeat, Allan had me pinned to the floor, a stake held threateningly above my heart. "Hey! What the _fuck _are you doing?" I screamed, kicking and squirming.

At the same time, Edgar grabbed his brother and wrenched him away from me. I glared at them both. "What the hell was he doing, trying to _kill _me?"

Edgar fixed me with a hard stare. "As a matter of fact, he was. You said you were a vampire. We take our job very seriously." I almost laughed, but my anger won over.

"Your so-called 'job' is about fighting things that _don't exist!" _I spat viciously as I stood up, watching them with wary uncertainty. My dream came back again- if they were really what they said they were, then I had to watch myself around them.

Edgar didn't flinch like I expected him to. Nor did Allan, although he curled his lip at me in distaste. "They do exist. And you seem to be caught in the middle of it all. 'Marko' is a vampire- or at least, he's hanging around with a coven of them. And that puts you and your whole family in extreme danger. Do you know how many times vampires have destroyed families?" Edgar's eyes grew dark and sad, and I wondered what he was thinking about.

Suddenly, I felt overwhelming pity for him. The expression on his face was one of complete despair, as if he were remembering the most tragic event in all of history. Glancing at the two hippies, once again asleep behind the counter, I wondered if they were really the brothers' parents. They looked a bit old...

Edgar followed my gaze and his eyes hardened once more. "They ruin a lot of families," he continued. "So either you sacrifice yours or you kill Marko."

My eyes grew wide with horror. "_What?" _I screeched in outrage, forgetting the pity I felt. "You want me to _kill _my _cousin?"_

"It's the only way to save your family," Edgar replied with a shrug. Allan looked on- there was no compassion in either of their eyes, and I saw that they truly believed in vampires and the evil that lived inside them.

But I, however, had had enough. "No. You both are lunatics, and I'm through playing your little mind games!" I yelled, marched through the front door, and stormed away.

That night, the front door slammed loudly, jarring me awake with a gasp. My heart pounded as I glanced at my alarm clock- 3 a.m. Who in this family would be coming home so late? Unless...it wasn't my family! The blood drained from my head at the thought, but the instinct to protect my home was greater than my fear.

Carefully, I eased myself out of bed and grabbed the baseball bat that leaned against a corner in my room. Ignoring my fluttering heart, I crept out into the dark hallway and made my way downstairs.

I stopped dead when I heard a rustling in the kitchen. Following the sound, I turned the corner and raised my bat. A shadow moved. I uttered a battlecry and leaped. I hit the shadow square in the side and someone moaned. Reaching for the light switch, I gasped and fell backwards with shock. Embarrassment colored my face.

Marko glared up at me from a pained face. I smiled meekly. "Hi, Marko."

Chapter 3! Hope you guys liked it! No flames please.


	4. Midnight Attack

I do not own the Lost Boys characters. Just saying.

Midnight Attack

Marko snarled up at me with gleaming red eyes and my breathe caught in my throat. That couldn't be Marko! But...it sure looked like him.

"Megan, what the _hell _do you think you're doing?" he roared furiously and I flinched, feeling the adrenaline kick in. This wasn't my cousin...or at least, it wasn't the _same _cousin that I knew.

"M-marko?" I stammered, reaching out to him for any sensation of the old Marko. But there was none. He growled low in his chest and bared sharp fangs at me. Wait a minute. Fangs? I didn't have time to think about the fangs before he lunged at me, arms outstretched, mouth yawning open as he showed two rows of razor sharp teeth.

I raised my bat and whacked him again, this time sending him spiraling backwards. He slammed into the counter and slumped to the ground, groaning. I just stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move. Unable to breathe. Finally, Marko looked up...and his red eyes stopped glowing like fire. Terror and shame flashed across his face like flames and he gasped.

"Megan...?" he murmured, reaching out to me. With a gasp, I broke out of my trance. Whatever Marko was now, he wasn't my cousin anymore. He was the enemy, and he could have killed me. I knew that in my heart. I turned around on my heel and sped up the stairs, tripping over the steps and over my own feet. I heard irritated mumbles from my aunt and uncle's room, but I ignored them as I rushed past it to my room. Slamming the door, I locked it and curled up against my bedframe, holding my baseball bat aloft like a spear.

When Marko didn't give chase or try to bust down my door, my racing heart began to slow and I lowered my weapon. _Holy crap...what just happened? What _is _Marko? He certaintly isn't..._gulp_human. So what is he? _Unconciously, I glanced at the two vampire comics lying on my nightstand and my heart stopped. _Is he really a vampire? _I wondered.

Opening the "Vampires Everywhere!" comic, I skimmed over it again, reading quietly to myself. "A vampire is said to be very pale, havy fiery red eyes, a bad temper, sharp teeth and claws, bad breathe. They hate the sunlight and love speed and danger," I read and then went over the key points in my head. Marko had been wearing sunglasses in the house, and had joined a dangerous-looking biker group. His eyes when he'd attacked me had been flaming, red, balls of fire. His teeth had been sharp like a shark's; I hadn't noticed his fingernails.

"Holy_ shit!" _I hissed. _My cousin's a vampire! _The creepy brothers flashed across my mind's eye, and suddenly I wanted to see them badly. The dream of them protecting me felt so _real _that I just knew that they would protect me in the living world, too. But I had no way of contacting them and it was nearly four in the morning! _Guess I'll just have to wait..._I thought to myself reluctantly. I thought I would never sleep, but eventually I drifted into my dreamworld. I was haunted by nightmares and slept horribly, but eventually I awoke at ten a.m. and hopped out of bed.

Careening down the stairs, I slid into the kitchen, yelling, "Mom, I'm going down to the Boardwalk!" She glanced up at me from where she was watching the TV and shook her head. "I don't want you going down there."

"What is it, Mom?" I asked, walking over. "Oh, nothing it's just...last night a bunch of kids were mutilated down by the beach. They said that their bodies were torn apart as if by wild animals..." she trailed off, worry coloring her voice. She turned to me, solemn. "That's why I don't want you going down there."

I hissed inwardly, wishing that my mom wasn't so paranoid. "Oh, c'mon, Mom, I'll be fine!" I insisted but she shook her head adamantly. "No, and that's final. We don't know who's out there, killing off these kids, but until he or she is caught I don't want you going down to the Boardwalk, especially at night."

I sighed in defeat and trudged back up to my room without another word. _Fine, don't let me go. Doesn't mean I'll listen, _I thought to myself, dressing quickly in jean shorts and a tanktop. It would be blazing outside. Sliding open my window, I stepped out onto the roof ledge that jutted out under it and closed my window. Closing my eyes fearfully, I leaped off the roof, carefully landing in a soft clump of high grasses. Dusting myself off, I crept cautiously to my bike, hopped on, and sped off.

There was no way my mom was keeping me away from Edgar and Allan when my family's lives were at stake. (Haha, bad pun.)

Okee dokee, if you liked this chapter review and keep watch for the next one! No flames.


	5. New Friends

I don't own the Lost Boys characters. Just thought you should know that.

As soon as I rushed in through the door of the comic book store, I hollered, "_My cousin's a vampire!" _Of course, I'd forgotten that this was a _store _and therefore there would be _other _people there. The people, mostly kids my age or a little older, all looked up with startled looks. I blushed and tried not to meet anyone's gaze in particular- until Edgar and Allan walked over to me quickly.

"Shh, c'mon, in here," Edgar breathed into my ear, placing a hand on my shoulder to steer me toward a door that proclaimed: EMPLOYEES ONLY- I tried not to be too conscious of the heat of his palm against my skin. Once we were safely inside a small, red-hued bedroom of sorts, the two brothers turned to me with their usual serious expressions. "Okay, so what happened?" Edgar asked, knowing that something must have happened for there to be a complete 180˚.

"Okay, well last night- or rather early morning- my cousin snuck in late but I didn't think it was him so I went downstairs and hit him with a baseball bat then found out it was him and he got angry and snarled and his eyes were flaming red and he leaped and I hit him again and he realized what he'd done but I ran upstairs and I haven't seen him since!" I exclaimed, then gasped, out of breathe.

Edgar and Allan exchanged a long, serious (no surprise there) glance and then turned to me. "I'm afraid we have no choice but to kill him," Edgar told me solemnly, emotionlessly. My eyes grew wide with despair and his stoic face softened slightly. "I'm sorry," he added quietly.

I was silent for a moment, contemplating Marko's fate. There was _no way _I could kill him…was there? What if he hurt me or tried to bite me. What if he tried to hurt my family? What then? Just let him get away with it? Let our family suffer for his nutritional needs? "Isn't there any other way?" I pleaded and the two brothers looked at each other skeptically.

"There is one other solution…" Allan began and I clutched at the opportunity. "What?" "If we kill the head vampire- the one who turned him- then he'd return back to normal," Allan went on but before I could get my hopes too high, Edgar interjected. "But we don't know who the head vampire is."

My heart plummeted into a dark hole of grief. I couldn't kill my cousin, my own flesh and blood! Could I…? "She could ask her cousin, couldn't she?" Allan inquired. I looked at them both hopefully. Edgar remained skeptical. "I don't know…it could be dangerous," he warned.

"Oh, c'mon! I'll be fine!" I insisted. Edgar sighed and I knew I'd won. "Okay. But I want to come with you." I blinked. "Why?" I asked, confused. "Well, if he did happen to attack, at least I'd know how to handle it," he replied with a shrug. "If you're going, then I'm going," Allan announced.

"Is that okay with you?" Edgar asked me and I shrugged. "I'll have to come up with an excuse for my mom, but sure," I replied, remembering that Mom hadn't wanted me to go to the Boardwalk until the killer was caught. _I could say I met them on the beach, _I thought to myself.

"When?" Edgar asked, breaking into my thoughts. "Tomorrow night, around six?" I suggested and they both nodded at the same time. "That's fine with us. We'll see you then…but if he does attack, then I'll stake him without even thinking twice about it. I hope you understand that," Edgar warned me. My heart fluttered nervously, but I forced myself to nod. If push came to shove, it appeared Marko would _have _to die.

_Damn vampires, _I thought grimly to myself, saying good-bye to the two brothers who had so suddenly become my allies and friends.

"Tomorrow night" came fast, so fast that I barely had time to prepare for it. I tried to spend as little time around Marko as possible, which was easy because he seemed to be doing the same. I only saw him once, and his back was turned to me as he was hopping onto his motorcycle.

Edgar and Allan came at six o' clock sharp, as if they were afraid that I would go ahead with the plan if they didn't show up to babysit me. That irked me, but not as much as my mom's response to their appearance. She took one look at them, told them to make themselves at home, and then dragged me into the kitchen, practically pulling my arm out of its socket as she tugged me away. Her eyes pierced into me like daggers- she was furious.

"You didn't tell me they were boys," she growled and I blinked. "But…they're just friends!" I protested. "You just met them! How do you know they aren't just looking for someone to fool around with?" she demanded and my mouth fell wide open. My mom had never been afraid to put things bluntly, but this just appalled me.

"Mom!" I exclaimed in a shocked voice. She looked shocked that I was shocked. "What? You expect me to just let my daughter hang around with a bunch of guys she just met?" I glared back at my mother; I imagined myself with laser vision.

"They're just friends. If they try something, I can handle it. I can take care of myself!" With those parting words, I stalked back out into the living room where Edgar and Allan still were. I almost laughed, but was still too worked up to really be amused. They were standing back to back, as stiff as boards, their eyes flickering around a mile a minute.

"Something you two are expecting?" I drawled. "Yeah, a bloodsucker," Allan replied, acting as if he hadn't heard the sarcasm. I rolled my eyes and grabbed both of their sleeves. "He's still upstairs," I told them and dragged them up the steps. They didn't relax at all. You'd think they'd entered some deadly creature's tomb…well, if you considered our beach house a tomb, then it was pretty true.

I took a deep breathe before knocking on Marko's door. "Who is it?" he called. "Megan," I returned and there was a moment of silence before I heard footsteps. When the door opened, Marko stuck his head out and studied me with cautious eyes. I noticed with relief that they weren't flaming.

And then he saw Edgar and Allan, smelled the garlic and Holy water they had thought to carry with them, and snarled. "Who are they?" he hissed angrily. "Don't worry, they're friends. We just want to talk," I reasoned and Marko glared at me.

"You know, don't you?" he demanded and I nodded hesitantly. He rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Come in. We don't want the rest of the family getting in on our little secret," he ordered, pulling me inside. I noticed that he stayed away from the brothers as if they were lepers. They returned his glares, flanking me protectively, and raised stakes up in the air like knives.

Marko hissed, eyes flaring, and stepped back another foot. He threw his glare in my direction with a huff of fury. "How could you drag them in here? They could kill me, Megan! Don't you care?" he demanded. I gave him a pleading look. "Marko, I just wanted to talk to you. They're just here because they were worried about me," I insisted.

Marko sneered. "So you dragged your little pet _boyfriends _over here, who are also _vampire hunters, _to talk to your cousin, _the vampire? _Good going." I grimaced, trying to ignore the word "boyfriends".

"Look, I know you're mad, but they're not going to hurt you, okay? I tell them-'' I began to say "I tell them what to do" but Edgar and Allan both glowered at me, so I choked it off and began again. "Just hear me out, okay? I just don't want any of our family hurt. You can understand that, right?" Pain filled Marko's eyes and I imagined he was thinking of two nights ago, when he'd attacked me.

"Yeah, I understand. But you don't have to worry, really. I'm under control now. Just stay out of my way," he warned and I blinked, my heart fluttering anxiously in my chest at the very real threat that laced his semi-innocent words.

"Yeah, okay, fine," I muttered, feeling as though the conversation was drawing to a close. My chest filled with panic. _No, I have to ask him about the head vampire! _But not directly; I wasn't _that _stupid. If I asked him directly, he most likely wouldn't tell me, brushing it off as "getting in his way" or something stupid like that. No, I'd have to be more subtle.

"Oh, hey, Marko? Who are those guys you were hanging out with the other night? They were talking to me earlier today, and I was just wondering what their names were, in case we talked again," I asked. Edgar glanced at me but I ignored him, waiting patiently for Marko's answer. His eyes were hard.

"Dwayne, Paul, and David," he answered and then glanced at his clock. "Now get out. I have to change." "But-'' I protested, but Marko shoved me out of his room. Edgar and Allan followed, keeping their eyes and their stakes leveled warningly at my cousin, before he slammed the door in our faces.

"Sorry, guys," I apologized. Edgar shrugged, even though Allan looked annoyed. "It's fine. We'll find out sooner or later." "Sooner, rather than later, I hope," his brother muttered.

Edgar ignored him and glanced at his watch. "Oh, Megan? Did you want to come to a concert with us tonight? I heard you liked INXS," he asked casually. "INXS is here?" I asked excitedly and he nodded, smiling- the first time I'd ever seen him really smile.

"When's the concert?" "Well, it starts at 7:30, so we should leave-'' "Now!" I finished, grabbing their sleeves again and towing them downstairs.

"Megan, where are you going?" my mom hollered from the kitchen. "Out!" I replied, still feeling a stir of anger at her overreaction. "Wait!" she called, but I was already flying out the door. Edgar, Allan, and I sped off on our bikes.

Despite the fact that I hadn't found the information I'd wanted or needed, I knew there was still time. That gave me hope. And the fact that I was defying my mom made the freedom sing loudly in my veins.

Woohoo! Fifth chapter! No flames please.


	6. Runaway

I don't own the Lost Boys characters. Just my own.

When we got to the concert stage, INXS had already started playing- Devil Inside, to be exact. And as the night passed and me and the Frog bros. rocked out to one of our favorite bands, I had to admit that I was really enjoying being with them…especially Edgar. He was a lot of fun, surprisingly (considering his serious expressions most of the time.)

By ten o' clock, all three of us were exhausted from dancing and jumping. The last two songs, though, we were pumped for- Good Times and Laying Down the Law. It seemed like, when each of those songs started playing, our energy would be restored anew, and we would be able to dance and jump like idiots again.

By the time the concert was over, it was 10:30, and I _did not _want to go home. "Hey, can I come to your store for a while?" I asked tentatively as we walked the emptying streets of the Boardwalk. "Uh, sure?" Allan replied, both of them shooting me questioning looks. "I'm not too eager to go home," I admitted and Edgar nodded knowingly. "Your mom?" he inquired and I nodded, guessing he must have heard our argument. _That's part of it, _I thought to myself. The other part was that I was having too much fun with my new friends.

"Your parents won't mind, will they?" I asked as we reached the two large garage doors leading into the comic book store, glancing in the two hippies' directions. Edgar's eyes grew colder and pain flashed across Allan's face. "They're not our parents," Edgar muttered.

I blinked, following them inside as they slid the doors shut. I could sense that I'd hit a nerve, and I backtracked quickly. "I'm sorry…" I began but Edgar shook his head. "It's fine. You didn't know." Even though his words were meant to reassure me, there was still an edge to them. I made a mental note to be more careful about mentioning their parents.

After a few minutes of awkward silence that the two brothers passed by organizing comic books absentmindedly, I broke it. "Can I help you guys at all?" They both looked up and shrugged at the same time. "Can you help me stack some of these books?" Allan called as he toted a heavy-looking cardboard box. "Sure," I replied and walked over to help him.

As we all started working, the tension melted like ice in the sunlight, and soon it was as if we'd been best friends since the dawn of time. Too soon, I had to look at the clock. 1 a.m. "Shit," I muttered, feeling my heart flutter a little nervously at the thought of the verbal beating I would receive from Mom. "I gotta go, guys," I sighed and was slightly thrilled that they looked disappointed.

"You'll come back tomorrow, right?" Edgar asked and I grinned at him. "Sure. As long as I escape alive," I added and their eyes narrowed. "Be careful around that cousin of yours," Edgar warned and I blinked. "No, I meant my mom. She's gonna kill me for spending most of the night with you guys," I explained and they both rolled their eyes. "Your living in the same house as a bloodsucker and you're worried about getting killed by your _mom? _Yeah, that's what I'd be afraid of, too," Edgar scoffed. "Yeah, well I guess we're more alike than we thought," I retorted, acting as if I hadn't heard his sarcasm. "See you guys tomorrow," I called over my shoulder, walking out into the dark streets of the Boardwalk.

At first, all I could think of were the images of me and the Frog bros. hanging out that night, permanently set on reply in my brain. But then, as the rush of freedom finally stopped dancing through my body, I began to feel the darkness creep in around me like living shadows, weighing down like ten-ton steel bars. My heart pounded heavily in my chest and my breathing became more and more ragged as time passed. Had I been stupid enough to leave my bike at the concert stage? Retracing the steps in my memory, I groaned inwardly. I had left my bike sitting in the rack by the entrance to the concert stage. I would have to double around to get it. And the shadows were pressing in closer and closer, reaching out with hideous ragged claws…

The sound of an engine roaring to life made me jump and scream, as if were a tightly strung guitar string that had suddenly snapped. Bright headlights glared into my eye sockets, blinding me momentarily. When my vision cleared, I realized that the bright, loud thing was a motorcycle, and sitting on top of it was Marko. I was never so glad to see him in my whole life.

He pulled up to me, the expression on his face more serene than I'd seen it in days, and lifted an eyebrow. "And you're out here all alone why?" he asked and I smiled sheepishly. "I went out with some friends but…I left my bike at the concert stage," I admitted and Marko rolled his eyes. "Get on. I'll drive you home and then get your bike later," he offered and I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Marko," I said, climbing onto his new, monstrous black bike. "Yeah, yeah," was his only reply.

Mom was asleep when we got home, and, after telling Marko about our fight, he was careful to be really quiet as he snuck me inside the front door. "I'll be back later, with your bike," he promised, then, after a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "I'm sorry," he murmured vaguely and then closed the door quietly. Amazed at his sudden change of heart, I crept silently upstairs.

As soon as I fell into bed, I was asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I dreaded leaving my room for fear of my mom and the lecture I would be receiving but eventually I had to venture downstairs. Of course Mom was sitting down there, waiting patiently for my appearance. Her eyes bored smoking holes into my forehead, but I clenched my fists and braced myself for the storm.

"You got home late last night," she began. Her voice was very soft, but I almost thought it would have been better if she'd yelled at me. "Yeah, I was at a concert…" I trailed off, figuring I shouldn't speak too much.

"You went out with those two boys?" she inquired icily and I nodded silently. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "You know that I almost called the police because of you? Plus, I had to pretend to my own sister that everything was fine and I wasn't a bad parent- which, by the way, you certainly made me feel like that!" she said, her voice finally rising into a thundering roar. I flinched but didn't back down. If she banned me from seeing Edgar and Allan…I didn't want to think about that.

"I'm sorry. But you had no right to overreact about my friends," I protested and she glared at me. "Don't tell me what I had a right to do or not do. I'm your mother, Megan, or do I need to remind you?" she challenged. Anger bubbled in my chest but I tried to restrain it. "I didn't forget," I replied as calmly as I could. "But I just think your being a little too protective. I'm fourteen, and soon I'll be fifteen. Its time to let me have a little freedom," I reasoned. I could tell a split second after the words had left my mouth that she wasn't in the mood for reasoning.

"Until you're eighteen, you are still my daughter, and you still have to do what I say." That was the final feather that broke my back. "Well maybe I don't want to be your daughter anymore, huh? For the past three years I've had to live with you trembling around Dad, letting him hit me and you! You never did anything, even when he would hit _me! _And now you expect me to follow your rules because you're my mother? You're hardly a mother! You couldn't protect me from Dad, and you won't protect me from people that wouldn't hurt me! I won't let you!" I screeched.

I barely saw my mom's hand flash out, and for a moment, my head flew back with a sharp _slap! _It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened- my hand touched my numb cheek, and as if that were a signal, it started to burn. Tears welled in my eyes- tears of shock and anger and pain.

"You hit me," I hissed, aiming a death glare at my mom. "Get out of my sight," she replied coldly and I ground my teeth together. "_Fine!" _I screamed and raced back up the stairs.

Quickly I packed my backpack full of things I didn't want to leave behind and then hopped out my window like I had that night. I was on my bike and speeding to the comic book store in no time. I didn't look back, and I had no intention of doing so.

R+R. No flames please.


	7. Torn

Torn

_What the hell am I doing? _Those words ran circles in my brain as I stood, motionless, outside of the comic book store, my hand stretched toward the handle of the front door. Their store wasn't open yet, and I wondered aimlessly if it would even be unlocked.

_C'mon, just go inside. It's not like they're gonna send you back to Mother Dearest, _I encouraged myself, sneering mentally at "Mother Dearest". With a sigh, I grabbed the handle, found the door unlocked, and headed inside.

The air inside was warm, but not as hot as the air outside. Music floated lazily from somewhere to my left. Allan and Edgar were sitting behind the check-out desk, their feet up on the counter. Both of them were reading comic books like anyone else would read a newspaper, and if I hadn't been so upset I would have laughed.

They both glanced up with surprise and must have immediately sensed that something was wrong because in seconds they were at my side.

"What are you doing here?" Allan asked, and I unthinkingly laid my palm on the cheek my mom had hit. "I'm not that welcome at my house at the moment," I replied.

Edgar narrowed his eyes. "It isn't that leech, is it?" he demanded and I shook my head. "No, not Marko…my mom. We got in a fight and she hit me and told me to get out of her sight," I told them, rolling my eyes to disguise my hurt. Edgar gave me a sympathetic half-smile and I returned it.

"I was wondering if I could stay here with you guys for a while. I don't really have anywhere else to go," I went on hesitantly and the two brothers exchanged a long glance. "I don't know…I mean, it's not like we really like you or anything," Allan replied, and at first I thought he was serious but after a moment I could hear the sarcasm.

"Oh, no, of course not. We hate girls named Megan," Edgar added but he smiled and winked at me. "Oh, me too, they're so annoying!" I added, playing along, and we all laughed.

"But, yeah, you can stay here as long as you don't mind living in this place," Edgar told me and I blinked in surprise. "You mean you guys _live _here?" I repeated, appalled and the brothers nodded solemnly. "But…why?" "Well, our aunt and uncle are always smokin pot so they never pay their rent. Eventually we had to move here when our house was foreclosed. Allan and I have to share a room," Edgar said, glaring at his brother. I could sense the words of a former argument, so I changed the subject.

"Well, where do your aunt and uncle sleep?" I asked, trying to think if I'd seen anymore rooms besides the store and brothers' room. "Upstairs," Allan said, glancing toward another door next to the one that said EMPLOYEES ONLY. The other one proclaimed STAIRS.

After a moment of brief silence, Edgar placed his hand on my shoulder. "Well, let's get you settled," he offered kindly and I blinked gratefully at him. "Thanks, guys."

So, the two brothers helped me set up in their room. Edgar had graciously offered to let me sleep in his bed for the time being while he slept on the floor. After I had made myself at home, all three of us sat on Edgar's bed and just talked. We talked for hours and hours, about the most random things until five o' clock, when the store opened. I helped them open the large sliding doors and then push some carts filled with comics outside. And when Allan asked me to stack a few newly arrived comics on the shelves, I got an idea.

"Hey, you two are the only ones who work here, right?" I inquired out of the blue. The brothers glanced up at me, puzzled. Edgar nodded and Allan rolled his eyes, saying, "Well, technically our aunt and uncle work here, too, but…" He trailed off and I nodded, feeling my gaze trail over to the two sleeping adults.

"How much do you two get paid?" I went on after a pause. "About eight bucks an hour…why?" Allan asked, but by the tone of his voice I could tell he knew where I was going. "Well, I was thinking that I could work here with you guys and that way I wouldn't have to be such a freeloader!" Edgar grinned lopsidedly at me. "You're not a freeloader," he protested. "Just wait till you've lived with her for a week," a voice said from the door.

We all jumped and whipped around to see Marko standing there. I opened my mouth to throw him a stinging retort…but then I really saw him. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was drawn, as if he were terribly sick. His body trembled slightly, as if he were shivering from the cold. But it wasn't cold and he wasn't sick…was he?

"Marko, what's wrong?" I asked, taking a step towards him. Edgar and Allan reacted quickly. Allan grabbed my arms and wrenched them behind me, pulling me backwards. Edgar stepped protectively in front of me, raising a stake that he pulled out of his belt. "Get out of here, bloodsucker," he warned as I struggled to break free.

"No, let me go!" I cried, finally managing to wriggle away and face the two brothers. "Guys, it's okay, he won't hurt me!" I assured them but they weren't convinced. At all. "Whatever you have to say to each other, you can say it across this distance," Edgar growled and I could tell that there was no room for arguments. With a resigned sigh, I turned back to my cousin.

"What's wrong?" I repeated. Marko sighed shakily. "I'm not really sure how to explain this but…Megan, you have to help me. I'm getting really weak because I haven't been, well…feeding. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I have to to survive. You have to help me, please!" Marko insisted, his voice weak and pathetic sounding. My heart ached to reach out to him, to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.

But the truth was, I couldn't reach out to him, I couldn't hug him and I couldn't tell him everything would be alright. Because if I got anywhere near him, I knew at that moment, that he wouldn't be able to resist. That he would feed on _me _if he smelled the blood in my veins. It was at that pivotal moment that I realized that my cousin really was dangerous.

"Marko, I…I don't know how to help you," I finally replied quietly, feeling tears well in my eyes. My cousin was dying of starvation and I couldn't do anything…but it would be horrible to kill a person, right? Even if it was for survival…right?

Despair filled Marko's eyes and he reached out to me. "Megan, please," he whispered and I reached out to him in return as the tears rolled down my face. Edgar and Allan tensed at my side.

Finally, Marko dropped his hand and uttered a small cry. And with that he raced out of the doorway and disappeared. "Marko!" I called after him. But no one called back.

I sobbed and then, without another word, raced into the brothers' room and slammed the door. As I fell into my new bed, crying my eyes out, I felt my heart tear in two. I had to help Marko...but I couldn't just_ kill _someone so he could suck their blood! _Dammit, I wish life were simpler! _

R+R pleez! No flames.


	8. Sad Story

Sad Story

I didn't know I'd fallen asleep until I was dreaming. And just what I was dreaming was enough to make me wish I'd stayed awake.

I was running, running even though my lungs were on fire, about to burst with pain. My legs felt raw and stretched to the brink of ripping open, and my heart galloped like an errant horse chased by death. Of course, I didn't know _why _I was running, but I had the sense that I was in terrible danger….and not just that _I _was in danger, but someone else was, too. If I didn't run fast enough, they would die, but if I _did _then something bad would happen to me. My mind shied away from that, but I kept on running. Apparently this person I was running for was more important than my life.

And then suddenly, something hit me from behind with a blow so powerful it knocked the legs out from under me and sent me flying. I landed, tumbled, and then lay on the ground of wherever I was and watched as a dark form approached me. As it emerged from the shadows, I felt terror race through my veins and make my brain go numb. My heart skipped a beat and it took it a moment to restart.

A hideous-looking man approached me, his face wrinkled into a snarl, two rows of razor-sharp teeth bared, red eyes gleaming. His flaming inferno eyes held me where I sat, and then, hypnotized, I watched in a daze as he crouched down next to me, grinning. He took my face in his hands as terror raced through my body; but there was nothing I could do. My limbs felt weak and watery from staring into his blazing orbs and as his teeth bit into the flesh of my neck, all I could do was scream… And of course I had to _wake up_ screaming, which meant the Frog brothers racing into my room and asking if I was alright a million times while they searched for any hiding vampires.

"Guys, will you calm down already? It was just a nightmare!" I insisted irritably. "Well, you scared the shit out of us screaming like that!" Allan retorted and I rolled my eyes. "I'm _so _sorry," I drawled sarcastically. "I'll try to control what I dream from now on!"

"All I'm saying is that-'' Allan started to yell something, but Edgar cut him off. "Guys! Stop arguing! Allan, it was just a nightmare, you can't blame her for that," he reasoned and Allan rolled his eyes at his brother. "Whatever," he growled and headed back out into the main part of the store.

"Sorry about him, he was just worried about you," Edgar apologized, sitting down next to me on the bed. "It's okay…I'm sorry I scared you guys," I replied quietly. "Don't be. I understand about nightmares…I get them a lot." Edgar's voice became low, almost inaudible.

"Why?" I murmured and Edgar looked down at the floor, his face becoming the picture of remorse. "Two years ago, I killed my parents," he muttered and the blood in my veins turned to ice, my heart skipping a beat just like in my nightmare. Edgar was a _murderer? _I knew he was a vampire hunter, but a _killer? _

I sat there in silence, dumbfounded, until Edgar looked up at me and smiled wryly. "Aren't you gonna ask me why?" I blinked at him as my mind frantically screamed at me to get away from him. If he killed his parents he must be dangerous! But…he didn't _feel _dangerous…

"Why?" I finally croaked. Edgar sighed and looked down, tracing a scar on his hand before he began. "My parents and my brother and I were all very close. I guess it came from living in poverty for so long. You see, my mother was a maid who jumped around from job to job, while my dad worked in a lumber yard. We never had much money but we were happy.

"But then one night, when Dad was coming home for work, someone attacked him. There was a lot of blood and some people witnessed it. They told us they saw two people drag him away, so there was no body. We learned later that it was a vampire, but at the time, all we could think about was 'who could have done this?' and 'why?' My dad didn't have any enemies. About a week later, Dad came home." Edgar's eyes grew dark as I listened, riveted.

"Mom was so happy, but she was also really scared and confused because we'd all heard that Dad was supposed to be dead. She told me and Allan to get in our room and lock the door, so we headed to our room but we opened the door a crack and watched as Mom let Dad into the house.

'Honey, where have you been? What's wrong?' she asked him and Dad smiled at her. 'Nothing's wrong, honey. I just returned for my family,' he answered in a detached voice. It was if the voice didn't belong to him at all, but to some ghost controlling his body. A moment later, Dad leaped at her. She screamed and we heard sounds, like they were fighting." Edgar closed his eyes and clenched his fists, but kept talking.

"Allan and I went out into the living room and found Mom crouched under the table, holding a bloodied knife in her hands. I should've known better, but I reached out to her, meaning to help her. She cut my hand." I glanced down at the scar on Edgar's hand and then looked up to stare at him, appalled. Suddenly what my mom had done to me wasn't so bad after all…

"Afterward, Allan and I stayed away from her. We locked ourselves in our room for about a day, waiting as Mom pounded on the door, calling my name frantically. When night fell and she stopped trying to get in our room, we snuck out cautiously. She was waiting for us in the living room, just sitting there, calm, on the couch.

'Edgar, Allan, are you alright?' she asked in the same detached voice that Dad had talked in. Both of us tried to run back to our room, but Dad was there, blocking the way. His red eyes gleamed at us, and he looked hungry. No, _thirsty. _We were trapped."

Edgar glanced at me. He must have seen my horrified expression. "I'm sorry, I'm scaring you. You should get some more sleep-'' he began but I shook my head quickly. "No, no! Go on; I'm fine," I insisted. "If you're sure…" he trailed off uncertainly, but at my nod he went on.

"Mom grabbed me and Dad made a lunge for Allan, but Allan was able to dodge out of the way. Mom held me by the throat as I struggled to get away; I was losing air fast, and I felt like I was going to die. Her claws dug into my throat." Edgar pointed to five tiny puncture holes in his neck and my heart ached for him.

"I don't know how Allan got away from Dad, but just as I was about to lose consciousness- and probably my life- he hit Mom over the head with a frying pan. She dropped me and it took me a minute to get up after that. I gasped for breathe like a fish out of sea, but when Dad started walking toward us I snapped back into action.

'Keep him busy,' I hissed to Allan and then darted away. I heard a snarl and the _ping! _as Allan hit Dad with the frying pan, but I ignored it and raced into our tiny backyard where Dad kept all his wood from the lumber yard that he used as firewood. I grabbed a sharp-looking stick and raced back inside, just in time, too. Dad had cornered Allan and was swiping at him with those long claws…"

Edgar closed his eyes and pain flitted across his face. "I staked him without even thinking twice about it," he murmured and I could hear the tremor in his voice. "And then…then I staked my mom, too. There was nothing else I could do."

I could hear the tears threatening to overwhelm him but with a shaky sigh, he composed himself. "A few days after, our aunt and uncle came to get us and we started working here."

There was a long silence after that, and then I hugged him. "I'm sorry," I whispered into his ear. I could feel his sobs racking his body and I felt tears sting my eyes, too. It wasn't _my _story, but it sure felt like it was. We stayed like that for a long time.

R+R please! No flames.


	9. Fight

Attention: I'd just like to thank all of the people who are reading my story and giving me feedback, I really appreciate that.

Fight

In the morning, all of us were tired and we didn't talk much. There was a tension between us that had never been there before and I didn't like it, but I didn't say anything, either. By noon, I couldn't take it anymore, so I left for a while, saying I'd be back in time for the store to open.

I wandered around the Boardwalk aimlessly, my thoughts drifting. A lot had happened in only eight days. My life had been turned around and twisted upside down until I no longer knew fact from fiction. The only thing I knew was that the world was more clandestine that I'd bargained for, and I had to be prepared for it to bite me in the ass. It already had by taking my cousin away from me…I cringed at the thought and tried to think of something else.

As I was searching my brain for a more cheerful topic, I came to realize slowly that I had wandered into an alley in between two dilapidated buildings. Suddenly, my heart started fluttering in my chest and my legs and arms went all watery. Something was very, very wrong.

That's when I heard the scream- the heart-wrenching, gut-grinding, horrifying, pained, terror-scream. It erupted from the building to my right and stopped me dead in my tracks. It was cut off with a gurgling, choking sound, followed by sinister laughter. I didn't need half a brain to know that whoever had just screamed had not been attacked by a normal human being. My insides turned to jelly, and I had to use all my strength to turn around and run. I didn't stop until I'd reached the comic book store, and I didn't look back to see if anyone had followed me.

When I burst through the door, I ran right into Edgar and we both tumbled to the ground. "What the hell-'' he began but I quieted him with my words. "Someone was just attacked by vampires!" I burst out. Instantly Edgar and Allan jumped into action.

"Where did it take place?" Edgar demanded. "Uh, I'm not exactly sure…I could probably take you guys there, though," I stammered. "Alright, Allan, get our gear together, and get some for Megan, too!" Edgar's eyes had filled with a dark flame that flickered and danced with unspeakable fury. I knew he was thinking about his parents.

Allan ran into our bedroom and didn't have to spend a minute looking for the vampire hunting gear. He tossed Edgar a backpack and slipped one over his own shoulders, then handed me two stakes and a squirt gun of, presumably, Holy water. "Alright, let's go!" Edgar commanded and we all hopped on our bikes.

I lead them through winding back alleys and through large streets filled with people, until I finally found the two dilapidated buildings. "I heard a scream come from there," I whispered, pointing to the building on the right. Edgar and Allan nodded determinedly and flanked me on either side, raising their stakes high in preparation for battle. My heart pounded fearfully in my chest and my brain screamed at my body to run. But I couldn't leave Edgar and Allan, so I controlled my terror and stayed close to the brothers.

There was no door to the building, only the skeleton of the door that was there, just as there were no window panes, just window holes. Inside, dust motes spiraled in the little light that leaked inside, but mostly it was dark so it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I wanted to scream, and run, and puke all at the same time. In the center of the room, pieces of a dead human body lay, ravaged, in a pool of blood. Edgar grimaced and I heard Allan gag at the stench that rose from the gore.

"Well, well, well, look at this, Ashlee! Dessert…" a voice growled delightedly from a corner. All three of us jumped and my heart faltered. A man, scarily similar to the one in my nightmare, approached us, followed by two others, a blonde woman and a dark-haired younger man. The blonde girl cackled evilly, baring her teeth in a snarl…or maybe she was grinning, I couldn't tell.

"Yes, they smell especially tasty!" she agreed, sounding sickly excited. "Axel, guard the door," the first man ordered, and before me or the brothers could even blink, the dark-haired vampire had leaped over our heads and now stood near the doorway but still in the shadows. We were trapped.

Axel and Ashlee started approaching and Edgar raised his stake higher, even though his hand was trembling in fear. "Don't take one more step, bloodsucker," he warned, stepping slightly in front of me and Allan. "Uh oh, Ashlee, they're _hunters! _Whatever will we do?" Axel sneered and I clenched my teeth. "I don't know, Axel! I'm scared!" Ashlee quipped, clutching onto the vampire man's arm.

Axel laughed viciously. "You really think you can hurt us, let alone kill us?" he asked. He meant it to be hypothetical, but Edgar answered him anyway: "Yes, we do." I could tell by his tone that he was deadly serious, and so could the vampires. Their sneers vanished, to be replaced by snarl-frowns.

"You're sadly mistaken, kid," Axel growled and then leaped without another word of warning. Ashlee darted forward at the same time, knocking me to the floor with her long, slashing claws. The stakes I held clattered to the floor and rolled away into the darkness. I pulled out the squirt gun from my pocket and pushed myself up.

Axel had leaped at Edgar, but my friend had raised his stake in time to stab it deeply into the vampire's heart. He now lay, writhing in agony, on the floor. Ashlee, who had cornered Allan, whimpered in dismay at Axel's death. Allan took advantage of her distraction to squirt her with Holy water. She howled in rage and swiped her claws across Allan's outstretched arm, slapping the water gun away and clawing his hand viciously.

Without wasting one second, Ashlee then lunged through the air at Edgar and grabbed him by the throat. He struggled and fought, but the vampire was stronger than any human and he couldn't break free.

Everything happened so fast. My eyes saw red as fury bubbled up in my chest. She had hurt my friends and she would kill Edgar- I wasn't stupid and I knew it was true. I grabbed one of the stakes that I'd dropped and raced toward the vampire. She didn't see me coming until it was too late.

I drove the stake right into her chest, and she immediately let go of Edgar as if she'd touched scalding water. He fell to the floor, gasping and coughing, but the rage still burned strongly in me and I continued to slash at her with the stake, until she collapsed on the floor, crying out in pain and anger.

When I raised the stake to slash her again, clawed hands wrapped around my wrist and pulled my arm back. I heard the break- the snap as my bone cracked at the wrist- and I screamed in agony. But the last vampire, the dark-haired man, took no heed and he shoved me to my feet. "You'll pay for that," he hissed in my ear as I panted in pain. And then he bit down hard on my neck. I cried weakly in pain again, but soft red dots were flooding into my vision. I had the sensation of falling as the red dots blocked everything else out. And then a wave of blackness swallowed everything up.

R+R please! No flames.


	10. New Life, New Problems

Thanks to all of you who R+R my story! Really appreciate it!

New Life New Problems

I floated in a dream-like state for a long time. I had no idea of how much time had passed, but it must have been a while. There was no pain where I was, and for that I was grateful. Deep in my subconscious, I could feel my body changing, writhing and cracking as I went through…whatever was happening to me. But that was at the back of my mind, so it was easy to block out any physical pain that went along with the changing.

Sometimes I could feel things on my skin- hands- and sometimes I could hear things- voices, shouting frantically, worried- but I couldn't respond to them. It was as if I were trapped in this dark world of numbness. Not that I minded, but it felt as if my heart ached to return to the normal world for…something, someone. I couldn't remember. Whatever had happened to me must have caused me to hit my head or something.

After a while, my conscious thinking ebbed and I returned into an even more peaceful place, where I dreamed. I dreamed I was in someone's arms, cradled there as that person affectionately stroked their fingers down my cheek.

"I love you," he murmured and my heart thumped at the sound of his voice. "I love you, too," I whispered, gently taking his hand and kissing each of his fingers.

"Please don't leave me," the voice begged suddenly, taking me by surprise. "I'm not leaving," I told him, but he swept on as if I'd never spoken. "I love you, Megan, I know that now. And I don't care that you're a vampire, just wake up! Please!"

_I'm dreaming…_I thought to myself. _So why is this voice sounding so real? _With a jolt, I realized that the voice was invading my dreams from the waking world, and I struggled to lift the peaceful veil of darkness just to get to the voice that I realized I loved, too.

Finally, I opened my eyes…and met the gaze of the boy I loved. Edgar. His anxious blue eyes widened in joy and shock and he turned around to call to someone. "Allan! She's awake!"

I blinked as my surroundings- my bedroom back at the comic book store- came in to sharp focus…whoa. _Really _sharp focus. It was as if I were wearing ten pairs of contacts all at once. I could see _everything. _And as I sucked in my first breathe since blacking out, I gasped in shock. I could smell everything, too! Sights, sounds, smells, all were focused so finely that nothing escaped my senses. I could hear every whisper outside on the Boardwalk, could smell every scent trail, even if it was more than a month old. And my heart, my new heart, thumped and fluttered wildly as the boy I loved said my name.

"Megan," he murmured and clutched at my hand. "Edgar…" I replied but my voice trailed away as my eyes met his. With my new, enhanced eyesight, I could see every detail of his dark blue irises, the way a thin ring of golden-brown surrounded his pupils, and how a thin ring of dark, steely gray tinged the outsides of the irises. They were so beautiful…like a storm out at sea. _Yeah! _I thought to myself excitedly, imaging creamy foam cresting the wave tops and splashing back down into the ever-churning sea…

"Oh, Megan, I was so worried!" he murmured and buried his head into my neck. Something went off inside me like an alarm, a red-alert, like how they'd ring the bell at school if there was a fire drill. A sweet, spicy, enticing odor wafted into my nose, setting off little fireworks in my head. My heart jumped crazily and my muscles tensed. And as the scent excited me, my eyes focused in on the vein in Edgar's throat, beating strong, swiftly pumping blood in a sweet-smelling river. Blood. _Blood. _An insatiable hunger, no _thirst, _had been triggered, and the nearly uncontrollable urge to bite deep into Edgar's throat almost overcame me.

At that moment, Allan rushed through the door and called my name. I snapped back to normal, as the shock and guilt rushed through me like flames that ignited a wave of feelings I wished I could ignore: mainly, thirst. I sucked in a quick breathe of the air- unpolluted by the scent of blood- that whooshed in as Allan opened and closed the bedroom door, then leaned as far away from Edgar as possible.

"Edgar…" I said through clenched teeth and tight lips. I tried to ignore the confusion and hurt in his eyes. And then he realized his mistake. "Oh, right…" he trailed off, looking uncomfortable and clearly frustrated.

"Well, I was going to give you a hug, too, but since you're a vampire now, guess I can't…least, not till you've been fed," Allan quipped after a moment of silence and I turned to stare at him, shocked. I had thought that Allan would be more furious with my being a vampire than even Edgar, who'd had to kill his parents because of creatures like me. _Creatures like…me? _I thought to myself again, and the full realization hit me. I was a vampire. I was a bloodsucking, night-stalking leech. How had _that _happened?

"Uh…guys? What exactly happened to me…?" I asked, interrupting some heated discussion the brothers had been having during my moment of self-realization.

"You got bit by that vampire dude," Allan told me. "Yeah, we almost killed him, too, but he got away! Filthy bloodsuckers," Edgar muttered and then his eyes widened. "Oh, uh, sorry-'' he said, beginning to apologize to me. "No, it's fine, it's fine, but…why was I bitten?" There explanation had done me no good, and I still didn't understand.

"Remember? We went to that old building?" Allan prompted. "Yeah, you heard someone getting killed…?" Edgar added helpfully. That's when it all came rushing back to me. The scream, the building, the vampires, the fight, the excruciating pain when my wrist was broken and the temporary pain of being bitten…

Unthinkingly, I flexed my wrist at the memories…and realized that there was no pain when I moved my arm. I carefully inspected my arm, peering deep into the skin, past the pores and blood vessels, trying to see any sign of my bones, trying to trigger some X-ray vision…Okay, so my eyesight wasn't _that _good, but I was able to feel around on the bones in my wrist.

I was no doctor, but I wasn't stupid. There wasn't even a _crack _in the bone, as far as I could tell and either that meant that it had never happened (which was unlikely) or I had healed super quickly (which was unlikely as well, unless...) Huh. Maybe the transformation _had_ healed my wounds.

Realizing that the brothers were watching me, I quickly returned to the conversation. "Yeah, I remember now. So…you guys aren't mad?" I asked tentatively. "Mad at what?" Allan replied, seeming genuinely confused, which made me hope that maybe they wouldn't hate me for what I had been transformed into.

"About me being a…a vampire." I found it very hard to even think my name and the word "vampire" in the same context, let alone say it. "No," Edgar answered, seeming shocked that I could even think that.

"But…you guys are vampire _hunters! _Technically, now I'm the enemy!" "I could never hate you," Edgar murmured, and I was reminded of my dream, and the fact that Edgar loved me, too. _Whoa, Edgar loves me back! _I thought to myself, liking the sound of that. He reached out to me, as if to stroke my cheek, but then he remembered and he dropped his hand, looking frustrated again. And this time, I was, too. I had just realized that I loved the guy and my stupid (but extremely cool) new vampire powers prevented me from even being _close _to him!

"Ugh, it took you guys _that long _to realize you love each other? Jeez!" Allan cried, disgusted. I glared at him. "What do you mean?" I demanded, searching my now-easily-distracted brain for any times I'd shown (or even really known) that I'd liked Edgar. I came up blank.

"Dude, Edgar was nice to you. He's _never _nice!" At a protest from Edgar, Allan backtracked quickly. "Okay, okay, he isn't nice to people he doesn't know. But he barely knew you and he was nice immediately. And then the night you two spent hugging each other, that just looked a bit suggestive, especially on your bed. And then-'' "Okay, Allan, I get the point!" I yelled.

Allan put up his hands in a jeez-you-don't-have-to-get-so-mad gesture. "Okay, okay, but now that you've finally realized it, _ask her out," _he ordered, fixing his brother with a stern glare. Edgar rolled his eyes and then turned to me, smiling gently. "So, you wanna go out with me?" I grinned. "You already know the answer," I pointed out and then went on to say, "Yes."

"Finally!" Allan yelled, lifting his arms to the heavens. "Must you be so dramatic?" I demanded and he nodded. "Yes, in fact I do. But now that you two are going out, I'm sure you guys wanna do a lot of kissing, right?" We both nodded (with me blushing slightly). "Well there's one problem, and we're gonna have to find a solution to said problem," he declared, sounding like a politician. I blinked as I realized what he meant. Edgar and I looked at each other. "The bloodlust," he stated and I nodded.

Well, this was certainly a pickle…

R+R please! No flames.


	11. Preparations

Thanks all you guys for reading and reviewing! It means a lot!

Preparations

"Dude, get the fuck off me, you don't know what you're doing!" I protested, trying to stumble away from Allan. Unfortunately, his hands still clutched my hair so I was forced to stay where I was.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" I cried, yanking his hands from my hair and then glaring at him. "When I say get the fuck off, I mean it!" I growled, baring my teeth at him like a feral animal. He rolled his eyes, unaffected and reached for me again. "Just let me fix your hair," he demanded.

"No, you already ruined it! And anyway, what if this doesn't even work? What if I get the wrong person?" I whispered the last sentence almost inaudibly, afraid my voice would tremble and quake too much if it were any louder. "You'll be fine. Trust me," he reassured me, motioning me back over to him. I grimaced and reluctantly obeyed, muttering, "Oh, yeah, I don't have anything to worry about if I trust _you._"

"Would you cut it out with the sarcasm for once?" Allan asked, pulling my hair back. "I live by sarcasm," I retorted and giggled when he pulled all of my hair straight up in the air. "How about we just keep it like that, eh?" he asked. "Oh, sure, it looks beautiful," I drawled, still laughing as I pictured myself walking around the Boardwalk with my long hair gelled into a mohawk.

"Please don't tell me you're _really _letting _Allan _do your hair," Edgar's voice asked from the doorway, and I turned around to grin at him. "I really am. Actually, he's not giving me a choice. It's either 'come here and let me mess up your hair' or 'I'll pull it out if you don't'," I said, pointing a nasty glare in Allan's direction.

"Would you stop flirting with my brother? The sun's gonna go down in about twenty minutes." I sighed heavily. "It's not like we have to be out there right at sunset," I growled at him as he, once again, started pulling my hair back. "Yes, we do, because we don't want to miss anything," he informed me smartly. "Still doesn't make any sense," I muttered, but it was too low for him to hear.

I went over the plan again in my head. We'd thought it up yesterday, the day after I'd woken up from the Change, but I still didn't like it. _At all. _After discussing the problem of feeding me for a while, Edgar had finally suggested that I hunt bad people: murderers, rapists, etc. Of course, I was a.) uncomfortable with the rapist thing, I mean, who would want to come in contact with a rapist? (The brothers had agreed that I wouldn't have to eat _them _after I'd voiced my opinion.) and b.) VERY uncomfortable with the overall eating a person thing. I might be a vampire, but I sure as hell did not like the thought of taking down some weak human to drink their blood. Blech. I'd never been able to stand blood in my human life and some of that must have been transferred to my vampire life, because I found that it still disgusted me.

Which sucked (haha, another bad pun).

Anyway, I was supposed to go down the Boardwalk, pretending I was lost in the back alleys, until I found a bad guy. Seemed simple enough, but it was probably easier said than done.

I went through this all in my head while Allan pulled my hair into a messy bun. "There, I'm done. You happy now?" he demanded, letting me free. I blinked and looked in the mirror. "Uh, yeah, I guess. But next time, _I'm _doing my own hair. Why did you want to do it, anyway?" Allan glared at me. "Cuz you wouldn't wake up until I pushed you out of bed, and then you were too lazy and stubborn to do it yourself," he retorted.

I scoffed. "Yeah, right," I replied, although it was true. I wasn't a morning person when I was human, so it wasn't a surprise that I didn't want to wake up when I was a vampire, either. "Just get your dress on," he growled and I waved both him and Edgar out of the bathroom while I changed into the silky red dress I'd snuck in and stolen from my mom's closet last night.

I was pleased to see that it fit, and fit well. It clung to my curves in a gentle way, not like some of the sluts I saw walking down the street. Subtle, but it _was _noticeable. I sprayed on some perfume with the title SEXY written in big red letters on the bottle, and then slipped on the red and white stone bracelet that I'd kept from my vacations to Colorado. My heart gave a pang of grief; those had been the times when my family had actually been a family and had loved each other. But I shook it from my head; there were much more serious matters to attend to.

When I emerged from the bathroom, Edgar and Allan both stared at me. Allan in shock (which I was slightly annoyed at) and Edgar with awe (which I was very flattered at). "You look so beautiful," he murmured, looking as if he wanted to hold me close. My heart ached to hold him to, to kiss him, but I knew I couldn't do that. _Stupid bloodlust, _I growled angrily in my head.

"Alright, now that you're all prettied up," Allan said after a pause, snapping back to his normal bossy self, "wear these. Don't be afraid to use them; I bought you some gloves so you can touch them."

With those slightly ominous words, Allan handed me a pair of beautiful, long red gloves that matched my dress. As I slipped them on, he pulled out a small vial of Holy water hanging from a chain. I hesitated before grabbing it, making sure none of it leaked out through the cork that he'd screwed into the top. When I had slipped that on, making sure it lay hidden under my dress but shivering at the thought that only glass kept it from my skin, Allan held out a simple silver cross on another chain.

Instinct took over. I hissed like a feral cat, backing away in a half-crouch- the hunter's crouch. My nails grew out longer and I felt my teeth morph into fangs. "Get that away from me," I snarled at Allan and he blinked, alarmed. There was a stunned silence for a long time, apart from my growling, and eventually even that faded. When it did, I realized what I'd done and that my reaction was uncalled for.

I blinked in guilt for three reasons. The first one was that I was a Christian (kinda ironic, huh?) and it felt extremely wrong to feel that I couldn't even touch a cross. The second reason was that I had growled at Edgar and Allan, my boyfriend and my best friend, as if they were enemies. And third was that, even though both of them hated vampires and would have with anyone else, neither of them made a move to grab their vampire hunting weapons. They just stood there, warily perhaps, but certainly not as if I was an enemy.

"Sorry…" I murmured, not meeting their gazes. "It's ok…" Allan replied cautiously. "It's just instinct, love. Nothing to be ashamed of," Edgar reassured me and I smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks," I said and then took a cautious step back toward them.

"What if it touches my skin?" I asked fearfully as I gingerly took the cross from Allan's palm. "Don't worry, the chain's long enough so that it shouldn't." I noticed that he didn't really answer my question but I didn't pursue it, afraid of what the answer might be. I wasn't really sure if crosses just hurt vampires or actually could kill them, but I didn't want to find out.

After I'd slipped on the cross, I glanced at the light outside. The sky was still tinged with orange, but some internal clock told me that the sun had already set. I could smell the night on the air, and it smelled delicious. Suddenly all I wanted to do was run and jump and dance under the light of the moon. But the joyous feeling left me when I remembered another delicious scent…blood.

"Alright, I guess I'll leave now," I said reluctantly. What if I caught the wrong person? What if the blood actually tasted disgusting? What if I fainted at the sight of it? Before I could chicken out, I gave the brothers a quick salute and then raced out of the store.

I followed the path I'd taken to get to the dilapidated buildings, the fateful place where all of this trouble had began. Once I was there, I immediately picked up the scent of several males, and I could even tell by the scent what they looked like- sort of. They were all Mexican, traveling in a group, a gang probably. I could smell the metal and gold- they were wearing rings and necklaces, no doubt. I could smell a faint, sweet scent that I recognized as cotton from the shirt I'd been wearing yesterday. And the scents were fresh. But as far as I could tell, they weren't evil.

I moved on, but my bloodlust stayed with me, growing stronger and stronger with every step. Eventually I came across the spot of a fairly recent murder- the spilled blood, washed away now by clean-up crews, made my mouth water but I tried to ignore it. But the scent trail leading away from the scene told me that the killer had run and then gotten caught and arrested most likely. There were scuff marks a few yards away, indicating a struggle, but either between the killer and the victim, or the killer and the cop, I couldn't tell. I moved on.

I came across millions of scent trails, but not one single bad person seemed to be in the alleys tonight. I found myself sickly wishing that there would be someone that wanted to attack some young clueless girl (me) because the bloodlust was becoming more and more unbearable.

Just as I was giving up all hope of ever finding anything, I stopped dead in my tracks. My sensitive ears twitched in the direction of a sound- the sound of muffled screams, the sound of feet scuffing dusty floorboards. I raced off in the direction of the sounds without another thought.

The hunt had begun.

R+R please! No flames.


	12. Encounter

I just want to thank everyone who's been reading and reviewing- it really means a lot. Sorry about the wait and the short chapter. I promise the next one will be better and up sooner.

I knew I was too late even before I reached the building where the screams were coming from, because they stopped abruptly. It was followed by a vicious peal of laughter, and then a hungry snarl.

I skidded to a halt outside the building. It was dark and looked a lot like the building where I'd been bitten- I felt fear, but I wasn't afraid for my own wellbeing. As far as I was concerned, my body had been transformed into an almost invincible ball of strength.

No, I was afraid that once I got in there, I would react strangely to the blood, like fainting or something. I knew that was stupid- people who were squeamish about blood probably got Turned all the time. But still, what if I found I wouldn't be able to feed because of my queasiness?

_Stupid coward, go in there! _I shouted to myself in my head, took a deep breathe, and busted through the door. I could tell I'd caught the murderer off guard, because he whirled around and hissed at me. Wait a minute…he hissed? Sniffing the air, I realized that the murder didn't smell human. He smelled more like me…a vampire! I could also tell that there were three others with him, and when the other three stepped out of the shadows, I gasped when I recognized one of them.

"Marko!" I cried out as he blinked at me, shocked. "Megan?" he replied, softly, puzzled. I knew what I must look like to him- some girl who'd gotten lost from some fancy party. And I knew that he must have smelled that I was a vampire too, or else he wouldn't be looking like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Marko! Get you're _cousin _out of here!" the murderer, the one still holding the body of his victim, snarled, sneering the word cousin. "Yeah, Megan, you really shouldn't be here-'' With a hiss, I interrupted him. "What, you can't see that I'm a vampire too?" I demanded, stalking up to him.

The other three vampires growled menacingly as I approached Marko dangerously, but I ignored them. How could he send me away? Part of my brain was wondering _why _I didn't want to be sent away, but the more rational, instinctual part of my brain answered: _Because you're thirsty. _And I knew it was true, so naturally, I wouldn't want to leave if there was fresh blood spilled anywhere. In fact I was just now realizing that I could smell the blood, and it was the most delicious thing I'd ever smelled. It was spicy and seductive and sweet and smooth. It made my skin tingle and tremble while my mouth watered. And I wanted that blood, more than anything I'd ever wanted before. I couldn't let the vampires send me away, I _had _to feed!

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Marko yelled back at me, breaking through the fog in my brain that the delicious scent had created.

"I'm thirsty, Marko, don't you get it? Won't you share?" I asked, almost pleaded. The scent was driving me crazy, making little fireworks explode throughout my body.

"Marko, this is our kill. She didn't contribute at all. You can't share with her!" the long-haired blonde vampire hissed. "Yeah, she's not even a part of our coven," the black-haired one added. The white-haired vampire, the one I sensed was leader, didn't say anything. He just stood there watching me with leering, fiery eyes.

"But…she's my cousin. She's _family,_" Marko protested. _Please, just let me feed! _I begged in my head- the scent pounded through my nostrils like an army of delicious and exciting smells.

"But she's not a part of _our _family," the dark-haired vamp pointed out and for a moment I wondered at his words. But the enticing aroma of the blood seeping out of the dead human's wounds scrambled all coherent thought.

Suddenly, a gasp rang out through the stillness of the room and my jumbled thoughts focused long enough for my mind to process the scene before me. Marko and the other vampires were facing away from me now, hissing fearfully at the light brightening the windowpane.

"We must go! Quickly!" the lead vampire ordered, dropping the body. It hit the dusty floor with a wet thud and I licked my lips appreciatively. That's when Marko grabbed my sleeve and started pulling me toward the door.

"No! Let me go!" I screamed, kicking and struggling to get back to the beautiful scent of blood. "We have to leave! The sun's coming up!" he muttered in my ear and that stilled me. The sun. I now could no longer go out in the daytime, could not enjoy the warmth of the sunlight on my skin. I was a creature of the night now, and fear of the sun filled my veins with every beat of my new heart. I didn't care where Marko and the other vamps were taking me, I just wanted to get away before the sun could burn me like an open flame.

R+R please. No flames.


	13. Acceptance

Thanks to everyone whose been reading and reviewing- I really appreciate it. I think next chapter is the last chapter to this story, but there is definately going to be a sequel. Hope you enjoy the "season finale".

Marko dragged me back into the streets of the Boardwalk and sat me on his motorcycle. It roared to life, making me jump, and that's when I saw the sun, barely peeking up over the horizon. It shed hot orange light, bleeding it into the dull blues and grays of nighttime just like it was bleeding fear into my body.

"Go!" I hissed to Marko as his bike lunged, stalled slightly, and then raced off. We were doing about a hundred, jetting through the woods like bullets. When we skidded to a halt on a cliffside overlooking the ocean, Marko wasted no time in grabbing me and jumping off the cliff.

"What are you doing?" I screeched as terror coursed through me. We were going to be killed! "What do you mean, 'what am I doing?'" my cousin muttered as he dive-bombed and then swooped skyward.

"Vampires can fly?" I asked, appalled, once I realized exactly what was going on. "Yeah, didn't you know?" he replied as we entered the dark seclusion of a large cave. No, it wasn't really a cave…It was the old collapsed hotel! I'd visited Santa Carla enough to know the story of this former hotel, the hottest resort in the city…eighty-five years ago. Or at least, so I'd thought. I didn't know it was a _vampire _hot spot, though.

Marko landed slowly, and then gently set me down. I still felt winded and a little dizzy from the flight in here- I hoped it wasn't too obvious that I'd never flown before.

"That was close…" the blonde vampire muttered uneasily. "We shouldn't have stayed out so long," the dark-haired one agreed. "Next time we'll be more careful. For now, we have other business to attend to," the white-haired one growled and turned his eyes to me. I shivered under his cold stare. "What exactly do you want?" he demanded.

"I-I was hunting and I came across you all with that body," I stammered, caught off guard by his anger. "Well that was _our _kill, understand? Learn to hunt for real next time," he warned.

At that I felt a bubble of indignation rise from the pit of my stomach up through my throat and then it rolled off my tongue. "_Don't tell me what to do!" _I yelled and the white-haired vamp's eyes widened in surprise. And then, to my amazement, he grinned. "You know what? You're okay…for a new vamp," he said, still smiling, and I blinked. Was there _respect _in his voice? No, I must have imagined it…

"Hey, David, do you think maybe we could teach her to hunt?" Marko asked hesitantly. It was blindingly obvious that Marko respected and admired the lead vamp, that he must be his role model.

"I'm cool with it. What do you say, Paul?" David asked, turning to the blonde, wild-haired vamp. "Eh, whatever. We'll give her a shot," he said with a shrug. "Dwayne?" David then turned to the dark-haired vamp. "It's cool," he replied evenly. David turned back to me and smiled. "Well, I guess it's settled then. Welcome to our coven," he said warmly, if not a little dangerously.

I gulped. What about the Frog brothers? These guys were the _enemy, _were they not? Or was I now the enemy, too, because I had been Turned? Edgar and Allan had said that they would accept me no matter what, and it had been clear in the way they'd acted around me. But what if I betrayed them? What if I attacked them? What if I _killed _them? I could never forgive myself; the guilt would plague me my whole life.

That's what decided it. I couldn't go back there. If I did anything wrong, anything that could get them hurt or killed, I couldn't live with myself. My heart broke in two in that moment as I realized that I could never see Edgar or Allan again. It didn't completely incinerate because I realized that I would have Marko by my side…but the thought of never seeing Allan, never seeing Edgar…it made me want to curl up and cry my eyes out. _C'mon, crybaby, it's for the best, _my inner voice urged in my head and I choked back tears as I met David's eyes.

"Thank you," I said, knowing that my words were the acceptance to his invitation, and that it was the final step to becoming a vampire and leaving Edgar and Allan. Well, _almost _final…there was still something I planned to do, but I would save that for tomorrow night.

Marko placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled encouragingly at me. "Everything's gonna be alright, Megs," he reassured me, unaware of the turmoil my heart was in at that moment. I still couldn't truly believe that I had to leave the Frog brothers…my best friend and my boyfriend, whom I loved enough that I would give him up to save him. But if that's what it took to save their lives, then I would do it.

I forced myself to smile back at Marko. "I know," I replied. "Well, then, let's get to sleep now that this is all settled," David cried and the others nodded in agreement. The soreness in my muscles and the tiredness seeping into my eyes with every blink suddenly almost overwhelmed me at the mention of sleep. I yawned and leaned against Marko's sturdy frame as he gently guided me to a smaller cavern in the hotel.

"Follow me," he murmured and then crawled inside after the other three vampires. I scurried in after him and when we finally got to our destination, I was covered in dirt and pebbles.

"We sleep up here, Megs, but it's cool. You won't fall, I promise," Marko explained when I gawked. We were standing in a cylinder-shaped cavern with a tall ceiling. About three feet away from the ceiling hung a long metal bar, held up on two A-frames.

I watched closely as the four vampires floated up to the bar, flipped in mid-air and attached their clawed toes to it. Wait a minute, their clawed _toes? _Wonderingly, I took off my shoes and socks and sure enough, my toenails had grown at least five inches. _Ugh, I'll have to clip them on a daily basis! _I groaned in my head as I climbed up the A-frame. I was still a little hesitant to try flying just yet.

Marko reached out and grabbed me, and then I swung myself onto the bar and flipped until my claws were curled around it. Surprisingly, my toenails held me there without any effort, just as Marko had said.

"Good-day, Megs," Marko murmured and then closed his eyes. I gave a short peal of laughter at his 'good-day' and then nodded at him: "Good-day." I then closed my eyes and fell into a deep, but troubled, sleep.

R+R please! No flames.


	14. Broken Hearts

A big thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Next chapter will be the last!

Broken Hearts

It was strange to wake up to darkness instead of the gray light of dawn, but with my enhanced night vision it was at least easy for me to see. It was also very strange to wake up _upside down_, which disoriented me for a moment or two before I realized where I was. And fresh anguish welled in my throat, making me want to sob. Tonight I would have to say good-bye to the Frog brothers to keep them safe.

"Hey, are you awake?" Marko asked, peering at me. "Well, if my eyes are open and I'm talking, what do you think?" I replied, rolling my eyes. "Oh, just c'mon. The other guys are out in the main cave and we are _thir-sty!_" he replied, emphasizing "thirsty". "Okay, okay," I mumbled, detaching my toe claws from the bar and hopping into Marko's arms. Once he had set me safely on the cave floor, we crawled out through the tunnel and into the main cave.

"Finally! Jeez, you sleep a long time!" Paul growled and I glared at him. But before I could open my mouth to say something, David cut in. "Alright, alright, girls, don't get into it. It's time to hunt! And we will have to teach this newborn how to hunt properly as well-''

Before he could go on, I boldly interrupted him. "Actually, could it wait till tomorrow night? I have some things I need to do before I get settled in here…" I trailed off as David raised his brows. I glanced over at Marko for help, knowing that he would realize what I was talking about.

"Yeah, c'mon guys. She's got some… people she needs to say good-bye to," Marko insisted. David narrowed his eyes. "Alright, but don't hint about what we are. It's important that we keep our existence discreet, you know," he warned. There was venom in his voice and I nodded obediently, if not a little fearfully.

"Well, let's go. We're wasting moonlight," David ordered after a while and we all headed up out of the cave and onto the beach. "Do you think you could fly tonight?" Marko asked me quietly. I gulped and bit my lip. "I don't know how, though!" I protested and he just grinned at me. "It's really easy…you don't even really have to think about it, it's just natural." I heaved a heavy sigh coated with nervousness and then nodded determinedly. Marko took my hand and led me to the cliffside.

"When I say go, jump and don't let go of my hand until I say so. Okay?" he murmured and I nodded quickly, hoping fervently that I wouldn't chicken out. "Alright, one…two…three…" Marko and I both tensed, crouching down over the cliffside. I ignored the impatient hollers from the other vampires and tried to focus. "GO!" Marko finally yelled and I closed my eyes, jumping with my hand still in Marko's.

The heart-in-the-back-of-your-throat feeling that falling induced made me want to scream, but I suppressed it. "Its okay, Megan! You're one of us! Let go!" Marko yelled to me. _Nonononono! _my brain screamed as my stomach clenched in fright. But at the sound of my cousin's order, my muscles automatically let go of his hand…and I was no longer falling. I was _floating. _I was about ten feet from the waves that crashed against the rocks, and it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't about to die (which, by the way, was a stupid fear. I'm a _vampire._)

"Oh my God! This is AMAZING!" I laughed, elated. Marko chuckled along with me. "Okay, can we go already? I understand that this is a very touching moment, but I've had a long day and would like very much to party and get something to eat, okay?" Paul growled impatiently. "Alright, alright, we're coming," Marko hollered up to his friend, grabbed my hand, and soared off, across the waters toward the Boardwalk.

The moonlight silvered the crests of the waves below us, and I suddenly wondered why I had never appreciated the earth's beauty before, in my human life. Once we had landed on a secluded area of the beach below the Boardwalk, Marko and the other vampires left me alone so that they could hunt. With a regretful, heavy sigh I trudged up to the busy, lively Boardwalk that had become home to me in only a matter of days.

The comic book store seemed strangely alien, and that made me uneasy. What did I have to fear? _Their anger…they'll hate you, _a dark inner voice sneered inside my head and I shooed it away. They couldn't hate me; they'd told me themselves! Bracing myself as if for an onslaught of enemies, I walked through the door.

"Edgar? Allan?" I called out and two heads popped up from behind the counter. I met Edgar's gaze and he grinned in relief. "Megan!" he exclaimed, leaping up from his chair to hug me. "You're back!" Allan chorused, following his brother. I leaned as far away from Edgar as I could, feeling the bloodlust well in my veins, threatening to overpower what little self-control I had.

"Megan? What's wrong?" Edgar asked, immediately pulling away from me. "I'm sorry, Edgar, but I haven't fed yet and I don't want to hurt you," I explained quietly. They must have heard something strange in my voice because they both became solemn immediately.

"Why didn't you feed? Isn't that what you've been out doing?" Allan asked, confused. "I tried to. But…I met up with Marko, and then he took me to the place where he and his friends have been living and…I thought of some stuff…" I trailed off, feeling my heart tear open at the sight of Edgar's face, Allan's face, the faces of my two best friends.

"What kind of stuff?" Edgar asked quietly, as if he knew what I had to say next could be devastating. "I have to leave." There. I'd said it. "Leave? And go where?" Allan demanded. "I'm going to live with Marko and his friends. I realized that as long as I'm around you two, you're in constant danger. What if I lose control and hurt one of you?"

"Megan?" a small voice interrupted timidly, and I blinked in surprise as Laddie walked up to me. "Megan!" another voice exclaimed and dread made my limbs go numb. Mom. My mother's arms were around me before I could move, and I just stood their stiffly while she hugged me and told me how scared she'd been for me. My mind frantically raced as I tried to think up schemes to get away from her, but I was coming up blank.

"Uh, hi, Mom," I finally said. Nice. Real genius. "Is that all you have to say to me? 'Hi, Mom?' Do you know how damn worried I was for you?" my mom demanded, her eyes filling with tears. The bloodlust inside me started to boil like hot water as the lively, spicy scent of my mother's blood wafted to my nose. I blinked, glancing at the Frog brothers for help. But they were both just staring at us with detached, desperate expressions, as if they were trying to figure out what to do, too. Or maybe they were trying to figure out how to get me to stay.

"Uh, yeah…I'm real sorry, Mom, but I have to go," I said quickly, trying to pull out of her arms. "Go? And just where do you think you're going?" she demanded, fixing me with a stern, yet anxious, glare. "Mom, please. I have to go," I insisted, meeting her gaze evenly.

I pulled away and started to run out of the comic book store, but my mom grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "No, you are not going anywhere, young lady!" she snapped angrily and I glared at her, baring my teeth in a very non-human way. "Just let me go, Mom. You were the one that sent me away in the first place, remember? I'm happier on my own than I was in that house," I spat cruelly and guilt dropped into the pit of my stomach like a stone. I hadn't really meant those mean, nasty words…well, she _had _sent me away…but I still loved her. I knew I had taken a cheap shot. Mom drew back like I'd electrocuted her, cringing in pain.

"Megan…" she said but I shook my head. "Just let me go," I muttered, shooting a glance in the Frog brothers' direction, hoping that I conveyed my message well: _I'll be back. _I stalked out of the comic book store and went around to the alley next to it where I crouched down to wait patiently (since I'd been Changed, I had learned that I'd gained more patience…maybe it was the realization that I would live forever and would have A LOT of time on my hands…)

A few hours passed. My body started to cramp from being still so long, but I didn't move an inch until I actually saw my mom leave. Laddie looked forlorn, lost and scared, glancing around anxiously as if he hoped to see me somewhere in the crowd. My heart broke at the sight, but I steeled myself by repeating these words: _it's for the good of your family and friends. _And with that thought swirling around in my brain, I headed back into the comic book store to finish my conversation with the Frog brothers.

They approached me silently, their eyes duller than before. My heart broke again. "Listen, guys…I'm so sorry. I just…I don't want to hurt you, either of you," I told them quietly and then reached out to stroke Edgar's face.

"I'm so sorry…I love you," I told him and he placed his hand on mine. "I love you, too," he replied and there was so much pain in his eyes it was almost unbearable. Taking my hand, he kissed my palm gently and then curled my fingers so that my hand was clenched in a loose fist. "Remember me," he whispered and tears filled my eyes. "I will…" I promised and then turned to Allan. "Remember me, too?" he asked and I smiled at him. "How could I not?" He smiled at me, too, but it was all wrong. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Love you guys," I said as I began to back away. "Love you, too," they chorused. With one more hopeless smile, I left the comic book store. I didn't get far before the tears started to fall.

My heart broke once more.

R+R please! No flames also, please.


	15. Epilogue: Laddie

Thank you so much, all of you who are reading and reviewing. This is the last chapter, but I will be starting the sequel very soon. Hope you like it!

Laddie

Marko found me not far from the beach, sobbing as if somebody was wrenching my heart right from my chest. His arms wrapped around me and seemed to steady me, calming me down until I was able to speak without blubbering like a complete moron. "I wanna go home," I murmured to him, but the words sounded wrong. When I said home, I meant the cave. But I knew in my heart that it wasn't home. Home would be the comic store, not some vampire's cave. But I had no choice.

Marko nodded, his eyes sympathetic and sad. Without another word, we both headed back to the cliffside where the vampires had left their motorcycles the night before to collect them before they could be stolen. The ride back was quiet and painful, but at least it was fast. As soon as we reached the cave, I headed into the sleeping cavern, hovered up to the bar, and found refuge from the pain through sleep.

Later on, I awoke to the sound of loud voices, arguing. Blinking to wake myself up, I realized that the yelling was coming from the main cavern, and I crawled sleepily out to see what was going on. My heart thumped painfully in my chest at the sight before me.

Marko stood with his back against a wall, shielding a small child that I realized with an inner groan was Laddie. Paul and David advanced on the two of them with teeth bared angrily. Dwayne just stood back, watching with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes aloof.

"How could you be this _stupid, _Marko?" Paul hissed. "You do know we have to kill him now, right?" David murmured, his voice dripping venom like the teeth of a cobra. I swallowed hard, but my throat felt dry. My tongue felt like it was covered in fuzz and for a moment I couldn't catch my breath. They were going to kill Laddie?

"He's just a boy," Marko reasoned, but I could sense that behind his calm words was the hint of a threat. "Just a boy that could spill about us, man. We have to kill him," Paul retorted, but his voice was less menacing. And suddenly I was talking, talking fast, trying to stall them somehow.

"But there's got to be another way," I protested, coming to stand at Marko's side. "Like what?" Paul snapped and I glared at him. "I don't know! But there's got to be some other alternative, some way to keep Laddie alive…" I trailed off, and my heart sank. My stomach twisted and I glanced at my little cousin, crouching behind his older brother. "We have to Change him," I realized out loud. "What?" Marko hissed.

David watched me with thoughtful eyes as I continued. "I know that we can't risk him spilling our secret, and as much as I hate to admit it, Laddie can't go back into the human world the way he is now. He either is Changed or…" "Or he dies," Paul finished coldly. "No, we can't-'' Marko began but I cut him off.

"I know you're scared for him. I am too. But this is the only way we can keep our secret and our cousin safe. Would you rather him be out there, without our protection, than gifted with these powers and strengths along with our protection?" I inquired- my mouth was speaking of its own free will now. Inside, my gut was twisting painfully. I couldn't let Laddie be bitten, could I? I mean, this was exactly why I'd left!

I could see that Marko was considering my words carefully, even though he hated it about as much as I did. Finally, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I suppose you're right. But I can't do it," he stated, glancing with despair at his little brother. I closed my eyes and nodded, knowing what I had to do. "I'll do it," I volunteered quietly and everyone fixed me with shocked stares.

"Are you sure you can handle it without killing him?" Dwayne asked and I shrugged. "No, I don't…but we don't know that any of you can handle it either and at least I'll have some reason to stop if I need to," I reasoned. My eyes drifted to Laddie, where he was watching us all with wide, scared eyes. I crouched down in front of him and opened my arms out so that I could hug him. For a moment he hesitated, and then he raced into my arms.

"I missed you, Megan," he told me, sobbing. "I missed you, too," I replied and then held him out at arm's length, fixing him with a stern look. "Why are you here, anyway?" Laddie shrugged sheepishly. "I was worried about you, so I snuck away from your mom and followed the motorcycle tracks out here," he said and I raised an eyebrow. "Smart kid," Paul muttered.

"Well, you realize you got yourself into a lot of trouble, right?" I asked him and he nodded solemnly, almost like a grown-up. "And do you know that I have to do something really…bad, to get you out of that trouble, right?" Laddie's eyes filled with fresh fear. "Like what?" he asked, a quiver in his voice. I closed my eyes against the new tears that budded in my eyes and then went on.

"Do you know what I am now?" I asked him quietly. Slowly, he nodded. "You're a vampire," he stated evenly and I blinked in shock. "H-how did you know?" I asked him. "Eddie told me," he said, shrugging, although the fear didn't leave his eyes. "Eddie?" I breathed, feeling a sharp slice of pain, a burning sense of love and gratitude.

"Yeah, your friend. I asked him where you'd been and he told me." "Did he tell my mom anything?" Laddie shook his head and I became dizzy with relief. No need to drag my poor mom into this. "Well…now that I'm a vampire, I can't have humans know about me or my friends or Marko. And, well, you know now…" I trailed off, finding it hard to speak against the lump in my throat.

"What are you going to do to me?" Laddie asked me quietly, and I began to speak. But a new voice interrupted me. "You don't have to bite him, you know." That voice…I knew him! I looked up, and swallowed a snarl. It was the vampire that had bit me, Axel's friend. He strolled into the cavern as if he owned the world, looking bored.

"Damien," David greeted in a steely voice. "How can we Change him without biting him?" Marko demanded. Damien grinned a sly, sharp-toothed grin and took out a wine bottle, decorated with golden chains and beads. Inside, the thick red liquid was undeniable. It was blood.

"Whose blood is that?" David demanded, stepping toward the other vampire. "Your master's," Damien sneered and David narrowed his fiery eyes. "He is _not _my master!" he snapped, his eyes gleaming fury. "Fine, your daddy, but either way, you know whose it is," the vampire replied, contempt thick in his voice.

"And what are you suggesting? That the kid drink it?" Paul demanded, glaring at Damien. "No, I expect him to eat the bottle," he retorted sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes. Laddie had to drink blood?

"David, whose blood is it?" Marko asked, but David ignored him. "Why are you doing this?" the white-haired vampire asked suspiciously. Damien shrugged, showing his teeth. "I figured I'd help you, one last time. For old time's sake," he replied, and something flashed between the two vampires that I couldn't understand. I could tell that Paul, Dwayne, and Marko had no idea what they were talking about, either.

"Yeah, well you can leave now," David growled, snatching the bottle of blood from Damien's hand. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving." Damien's eyes flickered over to me and I bared my teeth at him. He just grinned. "Its fun being a vampire, isn't it?" I snapped at him and he laughed. "Good-bye boys, Megan," he said, bowing and then leaping out of the cave.

"What was that all about?" Paul demanded and David shook his head furiously. "Nothing," he muttered, and then shoved the bottle at me. "This is a vampire's blood, so it has the same desired effect as biting him does," David explained when I hesitated. Gingerly, I took the bottle from his hand and then glanced at the still-cowering Laddie. "What if he's not able to drink it?" "Then you either bite him or kill him. Your choice." I flinched at the options and then turned back to Laddie.

"Can you drink some of this for me?" Laddie shook his head, backing into Marko. "Please, Laddie, you have to. You don't want me to bite you, do you?" Again Laddie shook his head, and he took one hesitant step back in my direction. I popped open the wine bottle and the smell hit me then, sharp, spicy, although not as good-smelling as human blood. I was sorely tempted to take a swig myself, but I had to make sure Laddie got some.

I handed the bottle to him and he hefted the rim up to his mouth. I could tell by his scrunched-up face that the smell had registered to him, too. "Don't worry, Laddie, me and Marko are here. We wouldn't let anything bad happen to you," I assured him, although inside my heart was screaming that if that were true, Laddie wouldn't be here right now. Laddie nodded, and then took a sip.

His reaction came fast, and it was a good thing I had vampire speed and quickness. Laddie spluttered, spewing the red liquid out of his mouth like a hose. At the same time he threw the bottle, almost _pushed _it away from him like it was made of fire. I caught it before it could shatter on the ground, and Marko caught Laddie before he could crack open his head on the rocks below. Because Laddie had begun to convulse, a thin line of blood running from his mouth down his cheek and neck. I hoped it was just the blood he'd spit out and not his own.

"What's wrong with him?" I screamed at David. He only shrugged. "Everyone has different reactions to vampire blood, but don't worry. As soon as you swallow it, you can't die, and I know he swallowed it because of his reaction." I bit my lip, hoping that David was right. Eventually, Laddie grew still, but I could tell he was still alive because his chest rose and fell as he drew in shallow breaths. When his eyes fluttered open, he drew in a deep breath, gasping in surprise.

"Oh, Laddie! You're alive," I cried, hugging him close to me. "Everything's so clear, Megan," he whispered in wonder and I smiled. "I know," I told him. "Well are you happy now?" Paul asked and I nodded. Marko hugged Laddie and me close as Paul rolled his eyes in disgust. "Can we go now? I'm starving," he demanded. "Yeah, yeah, we can go. Should we bring Laddie?" I asked, too relieved to be annoyed with Paul, and David answered. "It's as good a time as any to teach him hunting…and if I remember right, you have to learn, too?" I nodded. "Alright, then let's go."

With that, all six of us headed out into the night. I had no idea where my new life would lead me, though I hoped with all of my new beating heart that somehow it lead me back to Edgar and Allan. I hoped that someday I could apologize to my mom for every wrong thing I'd done, and I hoped that someday the Frog brothers could find the vampire that Changed their parents and avenge them. In that moment, all I felt was the freedom of starting anew and the hope that someday, everything would be alright again.

R+R please!! No flames. =]


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